http://nyr.gordtep.com
January 18, 2006 - Future Stars, Today
Before the season began, even the most optimistic Ranger fan had a tough time convincing themselves that this team was playoff bound. Regardless of how well Jagr played, and even if Henrik Lundqvist could stand on his head, New York just didn't appear to have the depth and cohesiveness that teams need to be successful in the NHL. 2005-06 was written off as a rebuilding year, and a n opportunity to see some fresh faces in Ranger blue. Little did we know, those youngsters were ready to step up their game immediately.
When trying to see into the future, one must first look to the past. Starting over with a pile of prospects, it can be fun to try and equate the newcomer with the old-timer counterpart.
Goaltending is the focal point of any team, for without a reputable net-minder your team is toast. Mike Richter was the cornerstone for the Rangers, and gave the team victories in so many games they had no business winning. The initial selection of the next Richter was Dan Blackburn. A couple of years ago, Blackburn entered the NHL at age 18, and appeared to have a tremendous amount of potential. Unfortunately, injuries prevented him from reaching the heights of superstardom so many had anticipated he would. Forced to retire, the hope was fully placed in the hands of Al Montoya and Henrik Lundqvist. Montoya is 13-3 in his first season in the AHL, and has a great deal of promise. Lundqvist, 23, had already seen incredible success on the international level (taking his team to the Swedish Elite League title), but has now truly made a name fro himself in the NHL. World-class goaltending provided by King Henrik has made the Rangers a bona fide playoff team.
On the backline, throughout the 1990's, it was Brian Leetch carrying the Rangers through the season. Consistently the team MVP, Leetch was on of the all-time great defenseman. When flipping through the pages of scouting reports within the system, the player that consistently came up as being a future #1 blueliner was Fedor Tyutin, 22. His speed, hard shot, and ability to join the rush had pundits pegging him as a crucial piece to the future of this franchise. Paired with Leetch for so many years was an incredibly solid stay-at-home d-man in Jeff Beukeboom. Although not from within the system, and certainly not as young as Tyutin, Marek Malik, 30, has easily been New York's most consistent defenseman. Malik and Rozsival have been the teams' top tandem since opening night, but Tyutin has started to come on strong lately, and show signs of what we can expect to see in future years.
Filling the shoes of the forwards is equally as difficult a task as the ones previously stated. How could the new Rangers find a Mark Messier, an Adam Graves, or an Alexei Kovalev of circa 1994. Without question, Jaromir Jagr has carried the bulk of the offensive load, and is perhaps the most prolific scorer the Rangers have ever seen. Playing with fellow veterans Martin Straka, and Michael Nylander for most of the season has given New York one the most productive top lines in the league. Petr Prucha, 23, was a rookie superstar that seemingly came out of nowhere. On a pace to net nearly 40 goals in his first NHL season, Prucha's talent and speed remind many of the young Alex Kovalev. Finding the next Messier and Graves is seemingly impossible, but there are two young hard-working players in Dominic Moore, 25, and Jed Ortmeyer, 27, that clearly have similar characteristics to the aforementioned Ranger legends. Moore's toughness, and fearlessness in driving to the net, matched up with his considerably strong play-making skills, make him a Messier-style player. Both Moore and Ortmeyer have had tremendous success at killing penalties, and are a part of an energy line that is intimidating the opposition on a nightly basis. Let us not forget the need for an Esa Tikkanen type player. The agitator, the comedian, the clutch performer with a wicked slapshot. Ville Niemenen, 28, in many respects fits the bill for "Tikkanen of the 00's". The similarities in their style of play are remarkable at times, not to mention they're both natives of Finland.
At eleven games over .500 in mid-January, fans can finally look forward to the second season. Ending a 7-season playoff drought didn't occur because of the acquisition of an all-star team of free-agents. It wasn't Mike Keane and Brian Skrudland carrying the Rangers through the season. Nor was it Sylvain Lefebvre and Stephane Quintal. Surprisingly enough, it wasn't Valery Kamensky and John MacLean that got he job done. It has been hard-work up and down the lineup, and outstanding coaching from Tom Renney (not Bryan Trottier, Ron Low, Colin Campbell, John Muckler, or even Glen Sather). Granted, Jagr and company have been magnificent, but so has Lundqvist, and the rest of the fresh young faces starring on broadway for the new-look Rangers.